Westrock Moves HQ to Campus Owned by First Security

Westrock Coffee Co. of Little Rock said Monday that it has moved its corporate headquarters into one of three west Little Rock office buildings purchased in December by First Security Bancorp. of Searcy.

The publicly traded coffee, tea and extracts company said it has moved into 50,000-SF of space inside Building 3 in the former Systematics office park at 4001 N. Rodney Parham Road.

First Security bought three office buildings there totaling 275,000 SF for $28 million from fintech giant Fidelity Information Services. The campus, built in the early ’80s, will house the administrative and sales offices for First Security Bank and its investment banking firm, Crews & Associates.

Westrock is located on the third and fourth floors of Building 3. Westrock co-founder and CEO Scott Ford said in a news release that his company chose the site for its ease of access and proximity to other Westrock Coffee facilities in Pulaski and Faulkner counties.

“We are thrilled to move into our new office and to be located in such a central and growing part of the city,” Ford said. “We are long-time customers of First Security, who have been true partners with Westrock Coffee from the beginning, so this decision was the perfect move for both firms. 

“The new location offers us the opportunity to best serve our customers, collaborate with our partners, and provide an enhanced work environment for our employees.”

Westrock previously listed 100 River Bluff Drive, Suite 210, in the Riverdale neighborhood of Little Rock, as its corporate address.

Westrock shares Building 3 with telecommunications company Windstream Holdings Inc. of Little Rock. Windstream also leases the three-story, 77,110-SF Building 1.

The four-story, 103,834-SF Building 2 will be empty after it is vacated by Fidelity Information Services by March 31. Fidelity retained ownership of a nearby seven-story, 177,410-SF office building on about 14 acres. It was built in 1997.

John Rutledge, First Security Bank’s central Arkansas market president, told Arkansas Business in January that buying the property “solidifies our ability to grow in the future.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity to acquire 31 acres in the middle of the largest metropolitan area in Arkansas,” he said.

Kevin Huchingson, CEO of Colliers International Arkansas, said First Security’s purchase of the property “definitely was one of the largest office deals for our market.”

“The timing for the opportunity was so good for First Security,” he said. “In light of the office market, it’s really exciting news for Little Rock and to see a local company grow and absorb space.”

First Security is one of the largest banks by assets in Arkansas, with $7.5 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, according to the FDIC.

Westrock (Nasdaq: WEST), which went public last year, provides custom coffee, tea, flavors, extracts and ingredients to retailers and those in the food service and hospitality industries.

In January, it announced plans to build a $70 million, 530,000-SF distribution center in Conway, a little more than 2 miles away from its new manufacturing facility there.

Last month, Westrock acquired Bixby Roasting Co. of Los Angeles, a specialty-grade roaster that Westrock called a leader in the “emerging influencer-led brand space.”